The typical Canadian defined benefit pension plan deteriorated on a solvency basis but improved on an accountancy basis in September, according to a new report by LifeWorks Inc. Its monthly report on DB pension indices found the average plan saw its solvency index dip from 109.4 per cent at the end of August to 108.8 […]
While the return of two Canadians imprisoned in China since 2018 may lead the Canadian government to rethink its relationship with the world’s most populous country, the Chinese market will remain open to Canadian institutional investors, says Jia Wang, interim director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta. “There is an opportunity for […]
A new white paper published by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries is proposing new rules during defined benefit plan windups, requiring higher solvency ratios for members who are retired and lower ones for those at earlier stages in their careers. “This paper suggests that retiree pensions would be better protected if the solvency funding regime framework […]
When the University Pension Plan officially launched in July 2021, it did so with Barbara Zvan as its inaugural president and chief executive officer. Fresh from a 25-year career with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, she was appointed by the UPP’s board of trustees in July 2020. While most of the foundational work had been […]
To push for greater female representation on a corporate board, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan withheld its support for the re-election of a female board director during a shareholder vote. During the annual general meeting of network management software developer Netscout Systems Inc., the pension fund’s proxy refrained from voting on a measure to re-elect […]
“Plans are, for the first time in a long time, in a position to off-load risk,” says Murray Wright, one of the contributors to LifeWorks Inc.’s monthly report on Canadian pensions. According to Wright, the principal of retirement and financial solutions at LifeWorks, pension chief financial officers are paying particular attention to one number found […]
The majority of climate-themed equity funds offer only marginal benefits compared to the broader market, according to a new report by the London-based think tank InfluenceMap. The report scored climate-themed and environmental, social and governance-themed investment funds on the basis of how well-aligned portfolios are with the environmental commitments made by governments, including the Canadian […]
Phishing and ransomware attacks are among the top threats to pension plan sponsors and institutional investors by cyber criminals, according to Jennifer Williams, director of information security at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. “A common approach by cyber criminals begins with a simple phishing email designed to cause an employee to mistakenly action the […]
Broad support for regulating environmental, social and governance-themed investments in Canada has left the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission playing catch-up with its northern neighbour, says Katie Pries (pictured), president and chief executive officer of Northern Trust Canada. “While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is working through its regulatory plans for ESG investing, Canada […]
A new strategic collaborative project between the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and an artificial intelligence-oriented think tank is aiming to expand the use of AI software in the pension space. Through the partnership, which is expected to last for the next five years, the Toronto-based Vector Institute’s researchers will provide the OMERS’ staff with […]